Tight security arrangements made for EVMs: DEO Rupnagar
Rupnagar, Feb 7, 2017: In a meeting with poll agents, candidates & representatives from various political parties, District Election Officer- cum-Deputy Commissioner Karnesh Sharma apprised them about the security and other measures taken for the protection of the EVMs after the successful completion of the polling phase of Punjab Assembly elections.
Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) have been kept at Government College, Rupnagar in three strong rooms with double lock, under a tight security arrangement with three tier security deployment. He also elaborated on the procedure to visit the storage site of EVMs for representatives of political parties, ROs and ARO’s.
DEO Sharma elaborated on three tier security ring, inner ring C.A.P.F, middle ring PAP and outer ring is guarded by Punjab Police. Strong rooms are equipped with CCTV cameras which are linked to the control room and regular recording is continued. Gazetted rank officers are deployed for security of strong rooms. No stone is left unturned to assure the security of EVM and prevent any untoward incidence.
He told as per the instructions from Election Commissioner, Election Officer / Asstt lection officer and Returning officer/ Asstt. Returning Officer cannot go beyond the sealing point, cannot go inside the strong room and shallrecord their visit in the log book. Powercom has been instructed to maintain uninterrupted power supply. Polling agents of various candidates can down load the Election Commission App on their mobile and can monitor the security of EVM’s.
Candidates and Polling agents can get their ID issued from R.O. to visit the strong rooms. They can also put up their tents along with the outer ring of security. He also asked RO’s to provide all amenities to the tents put up by the candidates/ polling agents & their representative. He thanked all political parties for peaceful accomplishment of poll process.
This meeting was attended by Additional District Election Officer, Amandeep Bansal, RO-cum-SDM Rupnagar, Udaideep Singh Sidhu, RO-cum-SDM Chamkaur Sahib Navreet Kaur, RO-cum-SDM Anandpur Sahib Rakesh Kumar, Tehsildar Harminder Singh and candidates of all the parties.